York County Commissioner Chris Reilly said he was disappointed that estimates say finishing the fifth floor of the York County Judicial Center would cost more than $8 million.

"I was hoping it would be much lower," Reilly said after the weekly commissioners' meeting Wednesday.

County engineer John Klinedinst presented three options for the project as part of a conceptual design study. He didn't make a recommendation, and he said the information is supposed to help the commissioners decide whether to continue with the project now.

Here is a look at the three options, what county officials said, what happens next and more highlights from the presentation:

Option 1: Includes six large jury courtrooms, and is estimated to cost $8.85 million. It's based on the original design of the fifth floor, Klinedinst said.

Commissioner Doug Hoke said he doesn't consider that a valid option, because it's not what court officials say is needed now.

Option 2: Includes eight small non-jury courtrooms, one magisterial district court and one multi-purpose room. It's estimated to cost $8.09 million.

Option 3: Includes eight small non-jury courtrooms, one magisterial district court and one large non-jury courtroom. It's estimated to cost $8.21 million.

What county officials said:

Hoke listed pluses and minuses to proceeding with the project now. He said interest rates are at an all-time low.

"It is an attractive time to borrow money," Hoke said.

Hoke said county administrator Chuck Noll is considering retiring from his position in the next year or so, adding that it would make sense to proceed with the project while Noll still works for the county because of his experience.

But Hoke also said officials don't know if the county budget will receive state and federal cuts in the future.

"Is it prudent, right now, .... to take on new debt?" Hoke said.

President Commissioner Steve Chronister said architects, engineers and builders always say now is a good time for construction.

"I don't really totally buy that argument," Chronister said.

York County President Judge Stephen P. Linebaugh reiterated his support for the project.

"We recognize it's a very difficult decision. And we recognize it's a decision that is not made lightly by the commissioners," Linebaugh said during the meeting.

The estimates:

Klinedinst referred to the estimates as "a snapshot in time."

The estimates include a contingency of 15 percent. Those contingency costs are typically costs associated with unplanned items during construction and the unknown bidding climate, according to the report Klinedinst presented.

Klinedinst said the 15 percent for contingency costs was a conservative estimate.

The estimates also include 15 percent estimates for soft costs, for items such as design and engineering fees, printing costs of drawings and specifications, local permit and code review fees, as well as equipment, according to the presentation.

They conceptual design study was completed for less than $25,000, according to Klinedinst.

What happens next:

Hoke said he hopes commissioners will make a decision in the coming weeks. Reilly agreed that they should reach a decision soon.

"We're not going to drag it out," Reilly said.

Other action

York County commissioners on Wednesday approved:

a change to the code of conduct, originally approved in December, clarifying that the ordinance is not intended to change certain rights of independently elected row officers.

and a memorandum of understanding on behalf of the York County District Attorney's Office and the York Area Regional Police board of commissioners to provide one full-time police officer to work on the York County Drug Task Force with salary reimbursement on a monthly basis. The motion said the agreement goes from Feb. 4, 2013 through Feb. 3, 2016, and includes no cost to the county.

Last time

The fifth floor of the York County Judicial Center was purposefully left vacant when the seven-story building opened in 2004.

"The fact that the fifth floor is empty is actually due to good planning by the county," county engineer John Klinedinst said Wednesday.

He said the county didn't build additional courtrooms before they were needed.

In September, York County President Judge Stephen P. Linebaugh told commissioners that completing the fifth floor was necessary. He said important legal matters of York County citizens are being delayed and that there are security concerns with having some judicial proceedings at the York County Administrative Center.

In October, commissioners approved moving forward with the conceptual design phase and programming for the fifth floor. But President Commissioner Steve Chronister said, at the time, that how and when plans move forward would depend on the cost.